Anybody
/ˈɛniˌbɒdi/noun
Any person; someone, no matter who.
Did you know?“Anybody” is a straightforward compound, but its deeper force comes from Old English *ǣnig* (“any, one, some”) and *bōdiġ* (“body, person”), showing how English once used “body” to mean a living human being in general.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
ǣnig
“any, one, some”
Old English
OE
bōdīġ
“bodily; a person, a body”
Middle English
ME
ani bodi / any body
“any person”
16th Century
English
any body
“any person, whoever”
Modern English
English
anybody
“any person; someone, no matter who”